A bold reality check: Nepal’s political scene is once again at a fever pitch as the party aligned with former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli stages its largest public show since Gen Z-led protests shook the country. Oli, who resigned after the youth-driven anti-corruption demonstrations earlier this year, addressed supporters at a rally in Bhaktapur near Kathmandu. He argued that the parliament dissolved by his successor, Sushila Karki, was unconstitutional and called for its restoration.
Police reported about 70,000 attendees at the three-day rally launching the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) convention. Organizers had anticipated a much larger turnout, saying they expected up to 300,000 people to participate.
Analysts described the event as the biggest mobilization for any party in the capital since the Gen Z protests erupted. Those protests, which erupted in September, left 77 people dead and over 2,000 injured, and at times saw the Prime Minister’s Office, the Supreme Court, and parliament set on fire. In response, an interim government led by former Chief Justice Sushila Karki dissolved parliament, and the ensuing unrest is estimated to have inflicted more than $586 million in losses on Nepal’s $42 billion economy.
During the rally, Oli reiterated his stance that the dissolution was unlawful and noted that the UML has filed a Supreme Court petition seeking the restoration of parliament. He pushed back against the portrayal of the UML as anti-Gen Z, saying, “That narrative isn’t accurate.”
Shankar Pokhrel, the UML general secretary, told the crowd that the party, though ousted, remains firmly in the public imagination and that the sizable turnout demonstrated ongoing support. He added that the sheer numbers at the rally underscored the party’s resonance with voters.
Looking ahead, more than 2,000 UML delegates will vote for a new party president on Monday. Oli faces a challenge from his deputy, Ishwar Pokharel. Whoever wins will steer Nepal’s largest communist faction into parliamentary elections slated for March 5.
Reporting by Gopal Sharma in Kathmandu; editing by William Mallard
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